Heart disease is the primary cause of death in most western societies. Death from heart disease is often induced by platelet-dependent ischemic syndromes which are initiated by atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis and include, but are not limited to, acute myocardial infarction, chronic unstable angina, transient ischemic attacks and strokes, peripheral vascular disease, arterial thrombosis, preeclampsia, embolism, restenosis and/or thrombosis following angioplasty, carotid endarterectomy, anastomosis of vascular grafts, and chronic cardiovascular devices (e.g., in-dwelling catheters or shunts "extracorporeal circulating devices"). These syndromes represent a variety of stenotic and occlusive vascular disorders thought to be initiated by platelet activation either on vessel walls or within the lumen by blood-borne mediators but are manifested by platelet aggregates which form thrombi that restrict blood flow.
Numerous studies have contributed to an understanding of the mechanism of platelet aggregation and thrombus formation. Platelets respond to a variety of blood vessel injuries, such as narrowing of the lumen, plaque formation, and the presence of foreign bodies (e.g., catheters) and the like. The response of platelets to these injuries is a sequence of events including platelet adherence and activation, and the release of platelet granular components, including potent cellular mitogenic factors. The activated platelet aggregates induce the formation of fibrin, which further stabilizes the thrombus.
Much is now known about mechanisms regulating these responses. Although unstimulated platelets contain receptors for several adhesive proteins including laminin (VLA 2, VLA 6) and collagen (VLA 2, GPIV, others), the initial attachment of platelets to subendothelium is believed to be mediated by the binding of platelet membrane glycoprotein (GP) Ib to the immobilized von Willebrand factor. Subsequent platelet activation can be initiated by one or more of the known physiological agonists including: ADP, epinephrine, thrombin, collagen, and thromboxane A2.
Platelet aggregation is mediated by GP IIb-IIIa complex on the platelet membrane surface. GP IIb-IIIa exists on the surface of unstimulated platelets in an inactive form. When platelets are activated by adhesion and the physiological agonists, the GP IIb-IIIa also becomes activated such that it becomes a receptor for fibrinogen (Fg), von Willebrand Factor (vWF), and fibronectin (Fn) (see Phillips et al., Blood (1988) 71:831-843); however, it is the binding of fibrinogen and/ or von Willebrand factor that is believed to be principally responsible for platelet aggregation and thrombus formation in vivo. Therefore, substances which specifically inhibit the binding of fibrinogen or von Willebrand factor to GP IIb-IIIa inhibit platelet aggregation and could be candidates for inhibiting thrombus formation in vivo.
Platelet GP IIb-IIIa is now known to be a member of a superfamily of structurally related adhesive protein receptors known collectively as the "integrins." Like GP IIb-IIIa, all integrins known to date are two subunit molecules with a larger alpha-subunit (e.g., GP IIb) and a smaller beta-subunit (e.g., GP IIIa). There is a high degree of homology between the known sequences of the integrin subunits indicating that the integrins evolved from a common precursor. Integrins function in a variety of cellular adhesions and have been found in leucocytes, endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and other cells in the vasculature. Because integrins are widely distributed, while GP IIb-IIIa is restricted to platelets, a preferred antiaggregating agent would selectively inhibit GP IIb-IIIa as opposed to other integrins.
Several classes of peptides have been disclosed which block the binding of adhesive proteins to activated platelets and inhibit platelet aggregation (see Hawiger et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,471; and Rouslahti et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,614,517; 4,578,079; 4,792,525; and UK application GB 2,207,922A). In one class of peptides, the sequence RGD is critical, and the tetrapeptide sequences RGDS, RGDT, RGDC, have been used specifically. The amino acid sequence RGDX is found in a variety of adhesive proteins including Fg, Vn, vWF and Fn. This sequence has been demonstrated to play an important role in the interaction of adhesive proteins with adhesive protein receptors because peptides containing this sequence block the binding of adhesive proteins. See, e.g., Pierschbacher, M.D., et al., J Biol Chem (1987) 262:17294-17298; Ruggeri et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci (USA) (1986) 83:5708-5712; and Rouslahti et al., Cell (1986) 44:517-518.
The structural variations permitted in RGD-containing peptides have been explored by Pierschbacher, M.D. et al. J Biol Chem (supra). In these studies, it was found that manipulating the RGD-containing sequence not only effected the activity related to inhibition of binding of fibronectin or vitronectrin to substrate, but could also effect differentiation between binding of the two ligands. The peptide sequence GRGDSPC which was taken from the cell attachment domain of fibronectin was used as a model peptide. Certain substitutions, such as replacement of L-Arg with D-Arg seem to have no effect on the binding of either ligand, but substituting D-Ala for Gly or D-Asp for L-Asp destroyed the inhibition activity. While substituting D-Ser for L-Ser reduced inhibition of vitronectin interaction with vitronectin receptor, there was little effect on fibronectin interaction with fibronectin receptor; substitution of Asn for Ser resulted in a peptide that had enhanced inhibition of fibronectin binding, and a decreased effect on vitronectin binding. Alternate substitutions for Ser had other effects. Threonine substituted for Ser gave a peptide with increased inhibition of binding to the vitronectin receptor; substitution of L-Pro led to an inactive peptide. A cyclic peptide was also prepared of the sequence Gly-Pen-Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-Pro-Cys-Ala, wherein "Pen" is penicillamine and a disulfide bridge was formed between the Pen and Cys. In the view of the authors, penicillamine had the function of increasing conformational restraints on the ring whereas the N-terminal Gly and carboxy-terminal Ala were added to distance the free amino and carboxyl groups from the ring. This cyclic peptide was able to inhibit vitronectin binding more strongly than the same peptide before cyclization, but was ineffective in inhibiting fibronectin binding.
Recently, an antithrombotic peptide with a modification of the RGD sequence having the "R" residue alkylated was reported by Samanen, J., et al., J Cell Biochem (1990) Suppl 14A:A229.
A separate class of inhibitory peptides utilizes peptide sequences modeled on the carboxyl terminal sequence derived from the gamma chain of fibrinogen, the dodecapeptide HHLGGAQKAGDV (Kloczewiak et al., Biochemistry (1989) 28:2915-2919; Timmons et al., (Ibid), 2919-2923 U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,471 (supra); EP application 298,820,). Although this sequence inhibits Fg and vWF binding to GP IIb-IIIa and subsequent platelet aggregation, the usefulness of this peptide is limited because it has a low affinity of interaction with platelet receptors (IC.sub.50 =10-100 uM).
Recently, several groups have isolated and characterized a new class of low molecular weight polypeptide factors from snake venoms which have extremely high affinity for the GP IIb-IIIa complex. Huang, T.-F., et al., J Biol Chem (1987) 262:16157-16163; Huang, T.-F., et al., Biochemistry (1989) 28:661-666 report the primary structure of trigramin, a 72 amino acid peptide containing RGD and 6 disulfide bridges isolated from Trimeresurus gramineus. Gan, Z.-R., et al., J Biol Chem (1988) 263:19827-19832, report the properties and structure of echistatin, a 49 amino acid peptide also containing RGD and 4 putative disulfide bridges which is isolated from Echis carinatus. Williams, J.A., et al., FASEB Journal (1989) 3:A310, Abstr. No. 487m, report the sequence and properties of the related peptides elegantin, albolabrin, and flavoviridin.
Included in this group of inhibitory peptides from snake venoms are alboabrin isolated from Trimeresurus albolabris, elegantin isolated from T. elegans, flavoviridin isolated from T. flavoviridis, batroxostatin isolated from Bothrops atrox, bitistatin isolated from Bitis arietans reported by Niewiarowski, S., et al., Thromb Haemostas (1989) 62:319 (Abstr. SY-XIV-5). In addition, applaggin has been purified from Agkistrodon p. piscivorus and reported by Chao, B., et al., Thromb Haemostas (1989) 62:50 (Abstr. 120) and halysin, purified from Agkistrodon halys which was reported by Huang, T.F., et al., Thromb haemostas (1989) 62:48 (Abstr. 112). All of these peptides show a high degree of sequence homology. In addition, all of the peptides reported to date from snake venoms which inhibit the binding of adhesive proteins to integrin receptors contain the RGD sequence.
Although these reported snake venom factors are potent platelet aggregation inhibitors in vitro, these peptides also bind with high affinity to other members of the adhesive protein receptors such as the vitronectin and fibronectin receptors (Knudsen, K.A., et al., Exp Cell Res (1988) 179:42-49; Rucinski, B., et. al., Thromb Haemostas (1989) 62:50 (Abstr. 120). This lack of specificity of snake venom factors for GP IIb-IIIa is an undesirable feature of their therapeutic use as inhibitors of thrombus formation, because they have the potential of affecting the adhesive properties of other cells in the vasculature, particularly those adhesions mediated by integrins.
Another approach developed for the generation of platelet thrombus inhibitors has been the use of murine anti-GP IIb-IIIa monoclonal antibodies which block the binding of the adhesive proteins to stimulated platelets. These monoclonal antibodies have been used to prevent coronary artery reocclusion after reperfusion with tissue plasminogen activator in dogs (Yasuda, T., et al., J Clin Invest (1988) 81:1284-1291) and to prevent cyclic reduction of flow in injured canine coronary arteries with a high grade stenosis. Potential side effects of the use of such monoclonal antibodies in humans may result from their long-lasting effects and from their potential immunogenicity.
Clearly, additional therapeutic treatment regimens are needed for preventing or at least mitigating undesirable thrombus formation. In particular, therapeutic agents capable of blocking or inhibiting thrombus formation at specific locations without compromising hemostasis and without affecting other cellular adhesions, would provide major therapeutic benefits. Ideally, these agents should be potent, specific for GP IIb-IIIa, and nonimmunogenic to most patients; they also should be easy to administer, stable and economical to produce. Further, these agents should act transiently and be capable of functioning at the earliest stages of thrombus formation, without interfering with long-term hemostasis. The present invention fills these and other related needs.